we 
248 XCVII. AMARANTACE. [ Nyssanthes, 
Moq. in DC. Prod. xiii. ii. 308; X. media, R. Br. Prod. 418; Moq. le. 
309. 
Queensland. Shoalwater Bay, R. Brown; papers river, F, Mueller; Rock- 
hampton, gtiaeia nd, O'Shanesy; Nerkool Creek, Bowm 
Port Jackson to the Blue Manainn: "R. Brown, Leichhardt and 
others ; ode river, Beckler 
N. media, Br., appears to me to be rather a Insatisnt state than a variety of N. 
diffusa. 
8. ALTERNANTHERA, R. Br. 
(Telanthera, Moq.) 
Flowers hermaphrodite. seca divided to the base into 5 segments, 
all equal or the outer ones larger, ovate or p olate, scarious and 
short veis or PDA intervening th or obes, unequal, Bf 
them often without anthers and reduced to e teeth. renee ail 
Ovary uniovulate ; s e short ometime rcely any, with a capitate 
—Annual or perennial herbs, mostly prostrate, glabrous or softly hairy. 
Leaves rly as Flower s small, in axillary sessile or Mig spikes 
(very rare y a 
teoles scari 
World Incl three of our common tropical weeds. Of the Australian species one 
is a common one in tropical Ati and Africa, other 4 is closely allied t o but perhaps 
not quite pee with a still more generally diffused species, the midi six a € 
to | ut the circumscription of the species as well as o itse 
quires cmn farther investigation. Moquin attributes to the whole genus (nci 
Telanthera 5 stamens with bg staminodia (teeth or lobes of the sta taminal cup). 
In those species which as s to Alternanthera proper, I can see no trace of the 
staminodia unless we abi as such -= ses or three out of the five fanami which 
are often reduced to small teeth. The me tenuity of the staminal cup renders it 
oer d be i to ascertain its form; Mica examined in the bud before the enlarge- 
o 
Staminal cup ne teeth between the filaments. 
Perianth perfectly glabrous. 
Plant x nan or slightly -pnbeesent at the nodes or in two de- 
urrent lines. Leavy 
Perianth-segments iod. ireti (above 14 lines long) w 
ne points. Spikes at length several together in aese 
fi 
globular clusters . A. modigare: 
ae ee and ‘bractecles (1 lin e long or un nde is 
road with short points. Spikes ia at length c "d ; 
and scarcely uh red E vom 2, A. denticulata. 
Plant more or ess hairy or rarely glabrous. Leaves mostly 
„broad. Rhachis of the spike woolly . BAe 
an . ‘foli 
equal (about 1 pm long) and aes ta inside , 4. A. angustifolia. E 
